Jonghyun approached the heavy oak doors of the Caterpillar's shop, in a clearing on the edge of Nightmare Forest. He only bothered to give two brief knocks before heaving at their weights and pushing them open. The tips of his brown ears brushed at the top of the doorframe as he passed through; and he gave them a little shake to remove the gathered dirt. He patted down his suit and checked his reflection in a nearby mirror. A streak of black gleamed through his walnut-brown hair, from which two long rabbit ears came out. White whiskers were almost invisible about his nose. Although there was a war raging on in Wonderland - had been for two years - Jonghyun was careful about keeping his appearances. He had risen into his office through hard effort, and a lesson he had learnt in keeping power was to look like he was in authority. Another lesson was to make sure the orders of his Queen were carried out efficiently and effectively.

Jonghyun cautiously moved through the shop. The Caterpillar was somewhat neutral in the war, but that did not mean that he could not be persuaded by another Queen and y traps were not lying in wait for the unwary fool.

The store was a large open room, cluttered with strange and domestic items. Coloured glass baubles and cups were arranged on a table, and a stack of wooden dining chairs stood off to the side. A metal and leather robot gleamed from beneath its clear cover. A shelf of various dried leaf packets stood up against a wall; with their smoking pots and pipes lined up on the bottom shelf. Spoons, knives, portraits papers of news and letters and invoices; such things littered the shelves and tables, tucked into every nook and cranny. On the west wall hung antique handguns on display. On the east wall was a collection of keys hanging on brass hooks. There could be something here for his sister, the hare thought, but that was for another day. The refraction and reflection of lights off from the trinkets within the store were muted by a lazy haze of rainbow-coloured smoke.

Jonghyun edged towards the stairs in the north wall and followed the plume of rainbow smoke, which was coming from somewhere upstairs. He held his breath and flattened his ears  to his scalp before he went into the thick of it, up the staircase. He came out onto the roof. Here, the intoxicating coloured smoke lay heavy to the floor, below the magnificent velvet cushion upon which the Caterpillar rested upon. The cushion was surrounded by treasure chests overflowing with necklaces and globes and other precious items that glittered and glowed, either in the dappled sunlight of the forest or by a power of their own.

Jonghyun looked upon the Caterpillar, who was rather large and round. Blue and purple stripes were painted across his long body; the edges were dusted with golden glitter.

"You do know there is a war going on?" Jonghyun waved at the excessive wealth by way of his greeting.

"And they DO make a merchant rich," the Caterpillar replied. He took a deep puff of smoke from his cloth bag pipe. "Are you here for weapons too? I had sold a flying bomber to the Queen of Spades, and she gave me this wonderful weed! Such wondrous colours, is it not, Sir Hare?" He took another drag from the pipe and settled back onto his cushion. "Come to think of it," he continued, "Your Queen would probably be the benefactor of the flying bomber. It is no secret that Spades aligns herself with Hearts."

Jonghyun waved his hand at the thickening smoke, directing it away from his face. "My name is Jonghyun, you best remember that Caterpillar." The Caterpillar only smirked and gave a shallow nod. "I am not here for weapons. I am here for news."

"Well, Hare Jonghyun, what would your Queen like to know?"

"The State of Play."

"And in return?"

"That will depend on your news."

The Caterpillar gave a sudden laugh - it sounded like a roll of thunder was shaking out of his body. Jonghyun ruffled his whiskers in distaste of the sound and sight. He was not accustomed to being laughed at.

"Hare Jonghyun, you have much to learn!" The Caterpillar guffawed, "So brusque! Not like the White Rabbit at all! And much like a common peasant! Much like your pretty sister, are you not?" He leered at the last jab, but that did not last long, for he was thrown back and off his cushion. The cloth bag pipe was kicked out of his hand.

Jonghyun towered above him, his fist raised in front of him for another punch. His eyes were narrowed and lips were taut from anger; his ears flat down his back and out of the way, ready for a fight. "What did you say about my sister?" he asked menacingly in a low voice and the Caterpillar threw up his hands in a sign for mercy.

"Only that she is very beautiful, Master Jonghyun; very beautiful!"

"Yes she is; very beautiful." Jonghyun stepped away and straightened his jacket. The Caterpillar remained where he was, still dazed from Jonghyun's punch. "You're right, Caterpillar," Jonghyun continued, a nonchalant air coming upon him. "I am not like Onew. I am part of the Leporidae clan, as is he. But why should we care about that? Why can't we be friends and have a nice chat? I am sure you have some wonderful tea. And I noticed the TV set downstairs - we could bring it up and watch a few cartoons together?"

The Caterpillar slowly blinked and wondered if he was concussed. "Wha... what?"

"Is cartoons too childish for you? Kibum likes them enough, but there are reasons for that, I suppose. Chess! Why not a game of chess?"

The Caterpillar rolled over and was astonished at the wide brown eyes on Jonghyun's face, almost as if he was begging to be allowed to play some games. "You are very strange," he commented and Jonghyun merely shrugged.

"I am me."

"Ah and that is a great puzzle, indeed."

"Shall we get down to business then?" Jonghyun pulled out a roll of parchment from inside his chest pocket. "This is the music sheets for the last great opera Queen Scarlett attended. It has been highly praised and I know for a fact that there is only one copy."

"Because you wrote it."

"Yes. Once you have it, even I won't have a copy."

"A great treasure indeed," conceded the Caterpillar, "And my news must be of equal value.” He gave a moment’s pause and coughed up more rainbow smoke from his lungs.

"This war is between Hearts and Diamonds. You might have guessed that. The Queen of Clubs is having no part in the dispute for the Throne of Wonderland. She keeps to her lands and defends her borders with her magic. None of the other Queens dare challenge her - even the Queen of Spades and her military prowess. The Queen of Diamonds, the White Queen, has realised that Spades has aligned herself with the Queen of Hearts. But she has a secret, the White Queen, which even I do not know. There are whispers that she has something magical and powerful enough to conquer the Queen of Hearts: your queen. If the Red Queen were to find out what it is, then she may just win the Throne."

Jonghyun digested the information. He then nodded and reluctantly stepped up with his music sheets; there would be time after the war for new music. He gave the Caterpillar a mocking salute and moved towards the stairwell.

Before he could leave, however, a low rumble sounded above the forest canopy. Both Hare and Caterpillar looked up at the sky over the clearing in which the store was placed. An ugly silver and leather machine came into view. Large spotlights swivelled from the ship's head; rows of large vials with a light brown fluid were strapped beneath its belly.

"Ah, that's the flying bomber I had sold to the Queen of Spades!" exclaimed the Caterpillar and waved at it.

A row of the vials detached from the ship and fell through the air with an eery silence. They exploded upon impact. Fire bloomed across the store's roof and gritty black and brown smoke collided with the fading rainbow plumes.

"Uh, Caterpillar - why are they bombing you?" Jonghyun yelled as he ran towards the cushion and fallen merchant. He grabbed onto rolls of flesh and heaved at the effort from pulling the great weight towards the stairs.

"I don't know! I don't know!" was the merchant’s panicked reply.

The Caterpillar moved slowly through the thickening smoke; Jonghyun was behind him, urging and pushing him forward. More vials dropped upon them. Baubles and gold scattered about in the air, thrown up from the blast as a vial hit a treasure chest.

"Can't you move faster?!" Jonghyun yelled. He ducked low at the debris flung by another exploding vial.

"I am going as fast as I can!"

"Stop picking up the treasure!" Jonghyun screamed himself hoarse, "MOVE FOR YOUR LIFE!"

"These are worth more than your life, Hare!"

"If I die, I will haunt you!"

"Damnations, Hare! Fine! Fine! No one wants to be a charred bug! Move out of the way and I will disgrace myself with my porter's technique."

He tucked his head towards his tail, and like a gigantic wheel, rolled at a magnificent speed down the stairs and through the oak doors. Jonghyun's jaw dropped to the ground with amazement; he only shook himself back to his present predicament with the loud sound of breaking glass. The heat of the fires started to singe at the hairs of his head and ears. Jonghyun took a mighty leap forward and bustled his way into the forest clearing.

The Caterpillar had unwound himself and the finely painted stripes were smeared across his body. "Don't you dare speak of this to anyone, Hare," he disgruntledly muttered.

"You have my promise," was his weary reply.

They watched the store collapse in orange flames and the flying bomber moved on. The Caterpillar sobbed when rainbow and glitter plumed in the air; all that was his stock and treasures gone to smoke. He moved sadly towards the ruins of his shop.

"I am sorry," Jonghyun apologized, watching the Caterpillar's hunched figure.

"You better be off, Hare Jonghyun," the Caterpillar murmured. "There are people who fear that the White Queen's secret will be the deciding factor in this war. I am not too sure which Queen would be better for Wonderland - Red or White. I just want peace and quiet to admire pretty things."

"I understand," Jonghyun murmured.

"And would you be so kind to inform your Queen that this is the last time I am dabbling in with the affairs of the Royal Courts? I have to rebuild my house."

"Yes; and I am truly sorry." Jonghyun left the ruins of the merchant in the forest clearing and made haste back to the Red Court. Wars were never pleasant things.